What to do with male A. rositae (possible spawn?)

[mrjbacon]

So after an hour or so of watching, I think my larger pair of A. rositae must be getting ready to or have just spawned very recently. The male and female are both in their best colors, and she spends most of her time in the larger apisto hut near the back of the tank. She only ventures into the immediate vicinity for food and to chase away the 3 diamond tetras. Any time the male gets within a few inches she flares, slaps him with her tail, and then chases him around the tank headbutting him.

The last bit is infrequent I should add. He appears on the surface to be unphased, as he's just lazily darting around the tank showing off his colors practically oblivious of his tank mates.

At what point should I move him? Can I put him right into the tank next door, where my other female is, or should I put him in a tank by himself?

 

[Drayden Farci]

I'd watch him closely and remove if there is signs that he might actually be killed. I have never removed my parents as there is usually space for the male to seek refuge.

 

[mrjbacon]

There's a lot of stuff in the tank so hiding isn't hard. Today however I removed the 3 diamond tetras, as they were keenly interested in my female's apisto hut, and she had resorted to staying inside instead of chasing them away. The male seemed disinterested in the tetras, as well as the female surprisingly. While watching them today after moving the diamonds, I got the impression that the female was trying to woo him inside the hut, while at the same time chasing him away if he looked at her sideways. We'll see what happens now that it's just them. I may try to get a few hatchets or pencils later this week to give them someone to chase off if they bring fry out.

 

[mrjbacon]

Well, I have a successful spawn of Apistogramma rositae! They are free-swimming and it looks like about 30-40 fry. Now to hatch some bbs.

 

[Drayden Farci]

Nice! Are these the F1's, or are you using the wild male and F1 females?

 

[mrjbacon]

Wild female from the first purchase, and the larger of the two males from the second purchase (which I suspect is perhaps a wild male left over from before judging by it's size) so either F1 or blended generation.

 

[Drayden Farci]

Wild female from the first purchase, and the larger of the two males from the second purchase (which I suspect is perhaps a wild male left over from before judging by it's size) so either F1 or blended generation.

They were all F1 - I can confirm that. We had one wild pair left, and the female killed the male after spawning The female then took care of the fry for a little while before being sold, I think. That was just the most dominant male from the fry. I've got a Totoya male that's twice the size of the next closest males at home lol